CM alleges corruption in civic bodies, BJP hits back

New Delhi: Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta sought to know on Tuesday what did the AAP government do with its budget of Rs 60,000 crore, even as Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged "mismanagement and corruption" in the municipal corporations, wondering what happened to the funds provided to them.

The Delhi government has a budget of Rs 60,000 crore and Kejriwal should give an account of how much money was spent on what in the interest of Delhiites, Gupta told reporters here.

"Has the Delhi government built a new college, school, road or highway in the last six years?" he asked.

Earlier in the day, speaking at a government event, Kejriwal hit out at the three BJP-ruled municipal corporations in the national Capital, saying they cannot run with such "mismanagement and blatant corruption" and pointing out that the civic bodies were unable to pay salaries to their employees, including doctors.

"Since our government was formed in 2015, we have paid two-three times more funds than what the previous governments had paid when they were in power. Where did that money go?" the chief minister asked.

Gupta urged Kejriwal not to do politics over the issue of salaries, including those of doctors, nurses, paramedical staff, health workers, sweepers, mosquito-breeding checkers, who served Delhiites without caring for their lives amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"By harassing the MCDs, the Delhi government is also troubling those poor and needy people, who depend on the schools, hospitals and other departments run by the civic bodies," he said.

The BJP leader claimed that the Delhi government has to give Rs 13,500 crore to the municipal corporations as dues of the third and fourth Delhi Finance Commission recommendations. He also charged the AAP government with not giving the grant-in-aid amount to the corporations.